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SNK Gals Fighters

Format: Neo Geo Pocket Color
Published by: SNK
Based on: Testosterone

Genre: Fighting
Media: Cartridge
Date: March 23, 2000

The notion of an all-girl fighting game is certainly nothing new; and when you think about it, it's actually a brilliant idea by developers. Considering the primary fighting game audience is firmly male, you can be sure that a collection of a dozen or so perky young females performing a digital catfight is bound to sell way, way better than a game featuring big hairy guys like Zangief.

The problem of course is that typically "chick" fighting games tend to get to the concept stage ("Girls... fight... bouncy!") and then rushed through production ("Must.. cash... in!"), leaving the finished game a visually titillating experience, but not much fun to play. Those who import with any frequency have undoubtedly seen the names "Asuka Burning 120% Fest" or "Advanced Variable Geo," two of the best-known all-girl fighters. And those who read import reviews have probably seen those games' respective less-than-stellar critiques ("savage" might be a better description).

Which is what makes Gals Fighters a bit of an oddity. Considering that it features among others the infamous Mai Shiranui (the woman who inspired a generation of young men to become physics majors), one would expect this to follow along the lines of Dead or Alive and maximize the jiggle factor. However, that's not really the case. Considering the sprites here look like little 8-year-olds, the fan service is kept to a minimum. And because it uses the same basic fighting engine and sprites as previous NGPC fighters, it's a solid, enjoyable fighting experience.

Of course, that recycled nature does count somewhat against the game - if you've played previous NGPC fighters, you've probably got a really good idea of what this one is about. And considering that Gals Fighters is the first game to follow on the heels of the absolutely sublime Match of the Millennium, gamers might be hard-pressed to figure out why, precisely, they need a fighting game featuring a bunch of characters who were largely represented in the previous game, but without the minigames and tag-team options. And it's true that in that light, Gals Fighters doesn't have much to offer. To say it can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with MotM is sort of like saying Beyond the Beyond was almost as visionary as Final Fantasy VIII. There are probably a few nutcases out there who would try to argue the case, but they also probably think the world is tortilla-shaped.

So, you ask, why the heck should I buy Gals Fighters? Well, because despite its failure to live up to the nearly-divine benchmark established by Match of the Millennium, it's still one of the most enjoyable fighting games on the market. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the game absolutely does not take itself seriously - each character is invited to participate in the "Queen of Fighters" tournament, in which a victory will net them a magical emblem that grants them one wish. What makes the game fun is that none of the characters has a particularly inspiring wish; Mai wants to get married, Athena wants to undo a bad haircut she recently received, Shermie wants a new home for her hamster, Leona has a bad cavity she wants healed... and it gets goofier from there. And if you're still taking the story seriously, the final boss of the game will definitely change that. Not to give anything away, but it's probably the most hilarious fighting game battle ever. And the endings aren't exactly grim-and-serious, either; each of them has a humorous "monkey's paw" twist guaranteed to give a good laugh.

In addition to the goofy, almost Pocket Fighters-like mood of the game, there are a few gameplay elements that help it to stand apart from what has come before. After certain matches, characters will be awarded with various items that have assorted benefits when used in battle. Don't ask why an earring will halve an enemy's spirit meter; just make the most of it. Furthermore, each character has been given new skills called "Pretty Bursts," which add an extra element to the combat repertoire. Overall, the game is much more flamboyant than the average King of Fighters-type game, but still more skill-based than a Marvel vs. Capcom sort of experience.

For fans of the SNK fighting franchise, it goes without saying that this is a must-have. For everyone else, it's one of those give-or-take kind of things. Still, it manages to stand out from its NGPC brethren by virtue of its sisterhood - as well as its humorous tone. I suppose I should give this one a 3 rating, but it's so darned much fun I have to give it more. Because by gum, isn't that what gaming is all about? And unlike the recent Street Fighter Alpha for GameBoy color, it offers a 2-player mode that should keep fighting fans occupied until their teachers catch them and take away their NGPC systems for being used to play "pornographic garbage" in class.